Breeders’ Cup Turf: Big Blue Kitten emerges as top U.S. hope

Few American horsemen will watch Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris as attentively as owner Ken Ramsey and trainer Chad Brown. They will be scouting the potential competition for their Big Blue Kitten ahead of the $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 31.

Big Blue Kitten was a gritty winner of the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic at 1 1/2 miles on turf at Belmont Park last Saturday, a victory that makes him the leading domestic contender for the BC Turf, the richest turf race in North America.

A 7-year-old, Big Blue Kitten has won 3 of 5 starts this year, including the Grade 1 United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park in July. In August, Big Blue Kitten was second in the Arlington Million to The Pizza Man, another BC Turf contender.

In 2014, Main Sequence won the United Nations, Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga, and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic en route to scoring a mild upset in the BC Turf at Santa Anita. Brown is hopeful that Big Blue Kitten can take that role this fall.

“When you look at his body of work, he’s been consistent and run well,” Brown said on Wednesday. “I think he’s formidable.”

As of Wednesday, Big Blue Kitten was rated a 10-1 chance with British bookmakers for the BC Turf, a market led by Flintshire, an expected starter for the Arc. Flintshire was second in the 2014 BC Turf and won the Sword Dancer in August in his only U.S. start this year.

The Arc field is expected to include Golden Horn, the winner of the English Derby in June. Trainer John Gosden said last weekend that the BC Turf is a possibility for Golden Horn, who is scheduled to be retired at the end of the year.

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The Arc is the top race in Europe each year. With a purse of $5.6 million, it is the primary goal for European-based turf-marathon runners.

Big Blue Kitten is one of three possible BC Turf runners for Brown, along with Slumber and Shining Copper.

Slumber was second in the Hirsch Turf Classic but must be nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program for $100,000. Shining Copper would run as a pacesetter for Big Blue Kitten.

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